Indians This Morning To Formally Announce Terry Francona Hiring

The Indians this morning will formally announce Terry Francona as the team's manager during a press conference at Progressive Field, and Francona's contract "is expected to be some type of four-year deal." It is "doubtful Francona took much of a pay cut" to join the Indians, as he could have "stayed at his ESPN job (paying him more than $1 million) and waited for another team to pursue him" (CLEVELAND.com, 10/6).

The Cleveland PLAIN DEALER's Bud Shaw wrote Francona's hiring "suggests the Dolans could actually be as serious about winning as they said they were when they bought the team." Francona's experience, including two World Series rings, "has many benefits, including removing one more excuse if the 2013 season doesn't bring serious contention."